Abandoned Homes in Waterbury Made to Look Lived-In

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The city of Waterbury wants criminals to stay away from abandoned homes, and has just found a new way to protect those properties and make neighborhoods safer.

Abandoned homes have plagued neighborhoods across the city.

New Ways to Fight Blight in Waterbury

Waterbury in now boarding up abandoned homes differently to make it look like the places have windows and doors, and that someone takes care of them. The goal is to make criminals and squatters think twice about being here, and neighbors say its working. (Published Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013)

“It's a dangerous situation and terrifying to say the least,” said Rachael Durette. She lives by a handful of these properties on Summit Street that are covered in brown plywood to keep out criminals and squatters.

Durette said the effort was a good one but hasn't been 100 percent successful.

“This one next door people are constantly breaking into it,” she explained.

One of them just started to stand out because it wasn’t an eyesore. A week ago, the property was a hotspot for drug dealing, but the Blight Task Force recently used a new method to board it up. They put up painted plywood, so it looks like the place has windows and doors and someone takes care of it.